Chapter Text
“So this is what tiny human tots wear...” Ulaz said, peering over Regris who was skimming through pictures on the screen as they browsed through Earth’s world wide web from another galaxy light-years away.
“But these designs. They’re so... colorful. And soft on the edges. And... “ Ulaz creased his brows, looking for the right words but unable to find any.
“Not at all intimidating?” Thace added as he came into the room- carrying a sleeping baby mullet in his arms wrapped in a soft, velvety purple linen. He stood beside Ulaz, peering over Regris’ shoulder with a look of dissatisfaction.
On the screen were several pictures of onesies side by side, all sporting the most adorable things on Earth- teddy bears, bunnies, puppies, and kittens, and all sorts of children’s show characters dyed in the brightest colors and hues.
“These are for the faint of heart.” Regris muttered pensively. “For a Galra childling, these are inappropriate. I’m sure our Leader will say we need to start ‘em young.”
“Yes.” Antok said from where he was leaning on the table filled with maps and scattered paraphernalia behind them. “If he’s going to become a Blade someday, we need to train him early on how to not just look the part but be as intimidating as possible. Strong and brave is the only way to thrive in our current empire.”
“Well,” Ulaz spoke, as he began typing away on his tablet. “We only need to follow the main pattern. Who said we can’t customize these garments as we please?”
A few minutes of continuous keystrokes later, he finished extracting the information for procedures as well as the materials needed to make the human infant apparel called onesies.
-x-
When Antok went into the conference room with Kolivan and the rest of the members currently present at their headquarters, Ulaz connected his tablet to the big screen and showed the speedy results of his research to his comrades.
“As you can see, this is the basic pattern for a type of human infant garment. As we couldn’t find a suitable design, what we have here is simply the foundation. So, we’ll be passing around parchments and some drawing materials and we would like to encourage everyone to come up with suggestions, and hand in your drawings for consideration.”
At those words, everyone broke into a roar of approval and excitement filled the room as the Blades of Marmora scribbled their ideas for the outfit of their tiniest member.
-x-
A couple of days later, they all regrouped in the conference room as Regris carried a bin filled with a variety of onesies they all sewed from scratch.
“Which one should we let him try on?” asked Ulaz, who was carrying the infant in his arms, looking up at Kolivan.
The baby looked up at their leader as well, then stretched his arms and wrapped his tiny fingers around Kolivan’s braid that was dangling down his torso.
Kolivan ruffed the top of the baby’s dark locks as he spoke.
“Why don’t we let him choose? Keith, which one do you want?”
At their Leader’s words, Ulaz gently set Keith down beside the bin. Keith simply sat there, blinking owlishly at them.
“Go on, little one. Choose which one you’d like,” Thace cooed as he knelt down beside Keith and took a few pieces from the bin and laid it out around their littlest member.
The first was shaped like a purple dragon, the second a reddish brown tyrannosaurus rex, the third a green crocodile, and the fourth a shark. All looking very realistic and menacing.
Keith looked like he had sparkles in his eyes as he admired the craftsmanship, and the Blade members felt pride welling up in their chests- both from their handiwork and how none of the scary things managed to frighten their little one or worse... make him cry.
When Keith crawled towards the dinosaur, it was decided which one was going to be worn by their little Blade as his very first onesie.
-x-
“Keith, look over here!”
Keith looked over to where Regris was waving at him, looking very intimidating in a far too accurate depiction of a tyrannosaurus rex for a onesie. But from its wide open mouth, his pale face gave the most angelic and sweetest smile.
“Ba!”
Regris drooped his camera with a loud thud. Antok immediately bolted to Kolivan’s office.
“Leaderrrrrr. Keith has just spoken his first wooooooord!!!”
He yelled as he was running. Naturally, the entire operative population of the Blades of Marmora gathered in their conference room in less than a minute, where Keith was happily trotting around now strapped in the walker Thace had built for him. Ulaz modified it to change colors to match Keith’s outfit, and at the moment it was blood red, making Dino Keith look even more menacing.
Keith seemed curious at first seeing a sudden influx of people in the room, but soon excitedly approached everyone, his T-rex tail bobbing up and down as he bounced around from member to member.
“Hey Keith!”
“What did you say lil fella?”
“Can you say Galra? Gaaaal-rah”
“Can you say Blade?”
“Can you say Marmora?”
“Can you say Antok? Aaaan-tok”
All eyes turned to Antok, he can almost see the threatening looks even under the masks.
“What?”
Kolivan whacked his head with a rolled up stack of papers.
“Ow! Kolivan, I don’t think that’s how you use printouts of our next mission’s details.”
“I don’t think that’s the first word you teach a child either. Unless you’re prepared to die when his mother comes back from her mission later.”
“Oh crap. Please don’t tell Krolia.”
“Ba ba ba”
When Keith spoke again, Kolivan turned to their smartest Blade.
“Ulaz!”
“I’m on it.”
The Blades immediately beside Ulaz made a circle surrounding him as he typed at the rate of 130 words per minute looking up the translation of the human words their tiniest operative was saying.
Looking up Earth’s languages, he came up with all sorts of translations. It went from something as simple as the number 3 or tortoise... or a pub, by just pronouncing the vowel slightly longer.
“So what does he want, three turtles or go to a space pub?”
The question earned Antok another paper whack.
“Ba ba ba baa!”
“Ba” One Blade unconsciously echoed.
“Ba ba” Another operative followed.
“Baa” And another.
It was like a yawn, so contagious. The words resounded throughout the hidden base in the middle of a sun and two black holes for the rest of the day.
-x-
Later that night...
“Where’s Keith?”
A female Galra with a gorgeous face and the most stunning violet eyes asked Kolivan as she came in and handed him a chip containing all the intel she gathered.
“Welcome back, Krolia. Of course that’s the first thing you ask. He’s in the conference room.”
“I’ve been gone for months in a missio... What is he wearing?”
Krolia paused, taking in the sight of her baby boy in a monstrous onesie.
“It’s a human infant apparel. They said it’s popular among humans. Is it not to your liking?”
“The craftsmanship is amazing.” She smiled and crouched down, waiting arms open for the little baby whose head shot towards the door the moment she walked in, as if he recognized her footsteps.
Tiny little feet swiftly waddled towards her in his blood crimson walker. As soon as he got close to her she picked him up and hugged him tight.
“Ba ba ba!”
Krolia chuckled.
“Ba ba ba”
“Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba. Baa!”
“Baa!”
While the rest of the Blades were going about their usual duties all over their base, those who were still in the conference room could only watch in awe.
‘As expected of a mother... She understands!’
Krolia rubbed her nose against the tip of Keith’s tiny little silky smooth nose, eliciting the most adorable giggle in the universe. She kissed his forehead, and then her baby boy yawned.
“Okay looks like it’s bed time for you, little Blade.”
Before she retired to her sleeping quarters, Ulaz approached her to ask.
“Krolia, you must tell us what human language he speaks. We couldn’t understand what he was trying to say.”
Krolia blinked owlishly at him.
“He can’t speak yet, Ulaz.”
“Wha?!” Antok’s jaw dropped. “But that... just now?!”
“Don’t be silly. That’s just a baby’s mindless babbles. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
“Bah...”
Keith said groggily as he snuggled up to his mother.
To be continued.